The Arizona sentinel. [volume] (Arizona City [Yuma], Yuma County, A.T. [Ariz.]) 1872-1911, 1887-11-12

| their Srlc1 out on eacn other neckS,
then tenderly counted over the little
keepsakes and relics she had appor-
toned between them. Among them
was heavy metal thimble, religiously
bequeathed to Janet. Around its up
per rim and somewhat hidden by the
rolling edge was an inscription: 10
Janet from Roy" This, the young
folks considered, needed explanation,
for their father name was not Roy,
and with youths impetuous eager
ness to know, even when the knowl-
edge may only bring pain, they took
the first opportunity to consult him
about it.
He told them that he and their moth
er had long contemplated letting them
into secret that the thimble half un-
folded, but could never make up their
minds just how or when the story
should be told. Hesitating and post
poning, his wife had gone to her
rest with the story still untold, No
better opportunity than this question
ing about the thimble might ever
arise, and so he would tell them.
The good woman they had just laid
away in the little family burial
ground on distant corner of the farm
was the young. widow of Roy Nc
GregOr, narrated their father, when he
made Il visit to the Selkirk settlement
on the banks of the Chanel Ecarte at
tracted thither by the wonderful sto-
ries of ghosts and wiichcraft that once
gave continental distinction to that
company of Scotch colonists, And he
was widower, with hat band of Grape
scarcely taken on the faded tint of
brown. They had each child, and
the children were of one age, and it
was as they talked of the peculiar
cleverness of these respective babies
that they grew interested in each other.
That was the brief and simple story,
and it explained the inscription on the
thimble They were not brother and
sister but by association.
This revelation was 4 surprise to Van
and Janet. as the entirely unexpect-
ed always is; but to say that it in any
way changed the position in which
they stood in each others affections at
once would be improbable. 1t was
only rs time went by that thoughts of
the real interest in each other came to
be entertained, and then were never
given utterance. Only in vague way
did Van sometimes venture to think
that somehow and some time Janet
might come to regard him less as
brother and more as lover. and that
their old fear of separation need never
be realized.
So time went by, and our "Uncle"-
Dolsen, then in the prime and vigor of
young manhood, loved and waited,
and while he waited, his thoughts were
diverted from the common theme by
new and greater commotion. In the
heated councils of two countries there |
arose threats of war; Bloodshed was
impending. The trouble grew and |
increased, until the people were up in
arms. The Indians. had been
aroused to take sides in the
quarrel, and Uncle" Dolsen, who had |
expected to 90 to the front found HIM
self bound to the first duty of home
guard for Janet and his father The
Indians had had their warlike spirit
stirred, but theirideaS of alliance were
not very well defined, nor their sense
of military honor very strong. They
struck blow for plunder as often as
for principle, aud at friend as readily
as at foe when they could do it stealth
lily. When General Harrison swept up
the Valley of the Thames to be met
and stayed by the Colonial forces I'M
der Proctor and Tecumseh, he left the
little homestead of the Dolsens unin-
jured. But not so few unallied red
skins who loitered in his track for
rapine and pillage, With no ground
for interference with the household
but the spirit of mischief that had
taken possession of them, and no in
centive to crime but the base passions
and devilishness that Janet McGreg-
Or's feminine charms provoked. they
beset the house, first with stratagem
and then with force.
The two men and the frightened girl
defended their little domicile valiant
y, Janet preparing the charges of am
while the men sought vantage
points for putting those charges into
he enemy with rifle, blunderbuss and
such other arms as the isolated farm
house afforded. The advantage was
generally with the better marksmen
II the house, and one by one the small
1and of Indian marauders was being
steadily thinned, when Janet an
that the ammunition was ,
nearly exhausted. To husband it as
much as possible their shots were
made less frequent and more delib-
rate, while the Indians, mistaking f
his for weakening, became bolder and I
rev nearer.
The last round of shot had been
ired, and with it one of the most ag- ;
,ressive of the attackers had been laid ,
ow. With wild yell for vengeance :
he others rushed upon the building ;
nd threatened hand to hand fight. !
van's father kept the little =
window while E
IAN himself, with Janet crouch !,
lg close behind him, kept the =
arricaded door, with the muzzle of {
is smoking gun still pointed through +
loopho.e that the removal of piece l.
the mud-clinking had made in the =
yall. A painted "brave" was inspir- +
lg his slender force of three OF four i
bOri0ines To n combined assault unon >